UC San Diego intrigued by playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney’s visceral and verbal way of reaching an audience

“It depends on the audience,” the playwright says. “Sometimes it happens a great deal; sometimes it doesn’t happen at all. The play works best, of course, when there is that dialogue.”

Still, he says, “I don’t really prefer (one way or the other). I’ve seen people not say anything during the play, and absolutely enjoy it.”

While the plays are interconnected, they also stand on their own well enough that seeing all three isn’t crucial to an audience’s understanding of the story, says the playwright.

“The hope is that whatever piece they see, they enjoy it,” McCraney says. “They work together differently than they do separately. But it’s really more about getting the full impact of what the plays can do.”

Wallace may not be an impartial observer, but the director says impact is one thing this playwright seems destined to deliver.

“He took New York by storm,” Wallace says. “I think he’ll do the same for San Diego.”